Humor and Humility: Ethical Lessons from Comedy and Korach's Rebellion

Show Notes
Transcript

What if humor was the key to unlocking profound ethical insights? Join us as we explore this fascinating concept with a riveting story shared by my 10th-grade Rebbe, Rabbi Brandt. This episode draws intriguing parallels between the art of comedy and the deep wisdom found in Mussar's teachings. We dive into the ironies of human behavior, laughing at our follies while uncovering significant truths. Hear how a joke can highlight the absurdities of stubbornness and envy, compelling us to reassess our actions and beliefs.

We also reflect on a powerful lesson from the revered Rabbi Aaron Yehuda Leib Steinman, zt”l, on Korach’s rebellion. How can someone be so entrenched in their agenda that they miss the glaring signs of their mistakes? Through the lens of this ancient narrative, we discuss the importance of self-awareness and the dangers of letting pride cloud our judgment. This episode is a blend of humor, wisdom, and ethical teachings that encourages listeners to pause, rethink, and embrace the pursuit of truth. Don't miss this enlightening and entertaining conversation that will give you thought-provoking insights on human nature and personal growth.

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Transcript

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The good comedians know that to really hit a joke out of the park, to have the audience belly laughing, absolutely rolling about on the floor unable to catch their breath because the joke, the comedian's sketch, was so brilliant, often the jokes need to be relatable, they need to be where they bring the audience to a place of it's so funny because it's true.

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Those jokes are the best.

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They hit the heart of everyone in the crowd.

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The comedian can bring out the irony, the glaring disparency, and say it in a funny, certain tone, and it is comedy.

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It's facetious and the same can be true with a grain of salt.

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That is about a Musser discourse, when a rabbi or a Sefer, an idea, will point out a glaring difference, an irony in human behavior and how we act.

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That is so true that it hits home.

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But it's almost funny and sad at the same time.

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It's a brilliant comedic sketch.

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Even a little bit of comedy can sometimes help the point to be driven home.

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And I heard this idea, this brilliant Musser discourse, from my 10th grade Rebbe, rabbi Branch Schlita, who heard it over Bisham, the Great Rabbi, aaron Yehuda Leib Steinman, the Gadal Adar, zechariah Levracha, and they asked him.

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They posed the great Gadal Adar a question.

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They said, rabbi, how is it that Korach didn't get that?

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He had messed up.

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He launched a rebellion, he launched a mutiny.

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He had launched an absolutely hostile disagreement.

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Launched an absolutely hostile disagreement.

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He wanted a regime change.

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He wanted the podium, he wanted out with the old and in with the new.

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But the Gemara Nyuma tells us that he who misbehaves didn't have his mana his breakfast, lunch and dinner that was parachuted from above, show up at his doorstep.

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Rather, based on his lack of faith, he had to trek out to the outskirts of the camp and go pile it up inside of his basket and bring it home.

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The manna only fell right on your doorstep based on how much faith you had in it.

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So why didn't Korach get that?

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The morning after he made this revolt, this rebellion, when he walked outside of his front door with his newspaper in his hand, wearing his bathrobe and his orange juice in his other hand, and he looked down and he didn't see the manna that morning, why didn't he get it?

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That he had clearly made a huge mistake in launching a mutiny against Moshe Rabbeinu was an absolutely terrible idea.

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What did he miss?

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I remember Aaron Yehuda laid stein in the heart of the door and said with a smile, because when he opened the door and he didn't see the mom, he thought to himself I must not have rebelled hard enough.

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He was dead set in his machlokes, so overcome by this envy, so stuck in his ways, that this was what was right.

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So even an obvious sign, a touch on the shoulder by Hashem to say take a break, cool off, he was able to portray in his mind, depict it, understand it, as I need to rebel even harder, for so is the mahalik and the way that people go about when they have Mahlokas.

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It is so scary in the world of Shalambayis, so scary in the interpersonal relationships with colleagues, so scary with our kids, that we can launch mutinies and we're unable to pull ourselves out of the mistake that we have made.

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We just keep making more shitos and piling on more and more proofs to our agenda, without ever seeing the clarity and the emes, the truth.

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We should take deep breaths, reconsider things when we have agendas, see it from a different point of view, learn to be a little bit loose and be choshesh that God forbid.

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Our judgment has been clouded and if the manna's right not where it used to be, well, then perhaps something needs to be done and I may have made a mistake.

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